Credit: Rocksteady GamesIn a shocking announcement, DC Studios head honcho James Gunn revealed that Matt Reeves’ Batman series will actually take place in the greater DC Universe.
With James Gunn leading creative and Peter Safran serving as Co-CEO of DC Studios, the new DC Universe is shaping up to be something truly exciting. Not only will audiences get more series based on lesser-known properties, like Creature Commandos (2024) and potentially another season of Peacemaker (2022-present), but they’ll also get access to classic heroes from DC Comics like the Man of Steel in Superman: Legacy (2025).
However, not everything that DC Studios is making will be under the DC Universe umbrellas. Instead, films like Joker: Folie á Deux (2024) and The Batman Part II (2025) will instead be branded as part of DC Elseworlds. That being said, it doesn’t mean director Matt Reeves won’t have a spot in the greater DCU.
A New Matt Reeves Batman Series Will Be Set in the DCU
Related: The Most Controversial ‘Batman’ Story Is Finally Being Released
Known for films like Cloverfield (2008), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War of the Planet of the Apes (2017), director Matt Reeves most recently garnered acclaim for The Batman (2022) starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne. While that film series won’t be part of the DCU, his upcoming Arkham series will be according to posts on Threads from James Gunn.
When asked if Reeves will be working on any other Batman-related projects, Gunn told an excited fan, “Right now, Matt is producing Arkham as a DCU series, so there’s just the two [projects in the Batverse] for now.” When other fans wanted to check that he meant the DC Universe and not DC Elseworlds, Gunn doubled down.
Related: The Most Controversial ‘Batman’ Story Is Finally Being Released
“Yes. We love Matt as a director and producer,” Gunn elaborated, “so he’ll be producing stories both within his ‘The Batman’ universe and within the DCU.”
This is certainly exciting since this means audiences will not only get a double dose of Matt Reeves, but a double dose of the Caped Crusader and his impressive collection of villains, including the Joker, the Riddler, the Penguin, Poison Ivy, and even Calendar Man. However, this does prompt one question: what exactly will this new Arkham series be about?
What is Arkham?
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While not much is known about the upcoming series, there is still plenty of information out there regarding the Arkham Asylum, the presumed setting of Matt Reeves’ new show. While it is meant to be a place to rehabilitate Batman’s rogues gallery, it serves more as a prison for some of the greatest villains in the DC Universe.
Arkham Asylum has certainly been explored in many comic book series. However, it is probably most recognized as the setting for the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham video game series, specifically Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009) and Batman: Arkham City (2011). Even though this hasn’t been confirmed, it would be exciting to explore these stories as a television series, especially since many beloved games have been successfully translated into shows this past year.
Do you think The Batman and The Batman Part II should be in the DCU? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!